Wire-stretcher.



A RASMU'SSEN. W I RE STRETGHEM APPLICATION FILED JAN: 21, I916.

26,354, I Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET I.

A. RASMUSSEN.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FI'LED JAN. 21. 1916.

1,236,354., Patented Aug. 7,1917.

2 SHE ETSeSHEET 2.

gwue/wtm fi f Has mussen ALFRED BASMUSSEN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

WIBE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1917.

Application filed January 21, 1916. Serial No. 73,372.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED RAsMUssEN, citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in VVire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire stretchers and the principal object of the invention is to provide a wire stretcher using a chain as the pulling element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein it is possible to take up the slack ofthe chain at any time Without releasing the tension thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device having an oscillating lever provided with latches adapted for alternate engagement with the chain links so that upon the oscillation of the lever the same will exert pull on the chain.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view partly in section; of a chain puller wire stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the end of the device which is attached to the wire to be stretched.

Fig. 4. is a detail perspective view of the stationary end of the device.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through one of the latch pawls.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the latch pawl illustrated in Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the cotiperating latch pawls.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates the main lever of the device comprising a socket 2 having formed integral therewith the downwardly extending parallel arms 8. These arms 3 are provided with alining apertures for the reception of the pivot pins by means of which the pawls are secured in place. A suitable handle t is provided with the tapered extension 5 .Which is seated on the socket 2 and this handle is of such a length as to give the desired purchase on the device to operate the same.

The attaching elements used in connection with the device will be hereinafter referred to as the anchoring and the pulling elements respectively. The anchoring element above referred to is designated generally by the numeral 6 and comprises a pair of triangular plates 7 connected at 8 by a suitable web portion having a central aperture 9 formed therein. A hook 1O extends through said aperture and is swivelly mounted therein as clearly illustrated in Fig. l. Formed in the opposite legs of the triangular plate 7 are suitable openings 12 and 13 and extend ing through the opening 12 is a pin 14 on which is rotatably mounted between the plates a grooved pulley 15. The pin lt extends beyond the outer faces of the plate and forms a pivotal connection for one of the chain engaging pawls which will be more fully hereinafter described. A pin 16 similar to the pin 14: extends through the aperture 13 and forms a pivotal connection for the chain attaching pawl at the stationary end of the chain.

The chain above referred to is designated by the numeral 17 and comprises a plurality of links of the ordinary construction and one end of said chain passes over the pulley 15 and is attached to the lever 1 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The opposite end passes over the pulley in the pulling element and extends back and is connected to the stationary element as clearly shown in Fig. 4c.

The pulling element above referred to is designated generally by the numeral 18 and comprises a U-shaped body 19 having the hook 20 swivelly mounted in the bight portion thereof. A grooved pulley 21 is r0tatably mounted on the shaft 22 intermediate the arms of the U-shaped body 19 near their free ends and it is over this pulley that the chain 17 above referred to passes.

Passing now to the description of the chain engaging pawls reference will be had particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 in which Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate one form of pawl used in connection with the device while Fig. 7 illustrates the other form. In the structure illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, each pawl comprises a pair of converging arms 23 having formed at their. free ends the apertured ears 24. These ears 24: extend in parallel planes as clearly illustrated in Fig.

6. A bight portion 25 connects the opposite ends of the arms or the ends nearest their point of convergence and this bight portion is inclined outwardly so that its aXis is at an angleof substantially 45 with relation to the longitudinal aXis of the device.

suitable web 26 extends through the bight bored to receive the pivot pins. The oppo-' site ends of the arms 28 are connected by a bight portion 31 which inclines upwardly with relation to the longitudinal axis of the arms and is provided with the web 32 hav ing a slot 33 formed therein which like the slot 27 is adapted to receive the vertical link of a chain so that the web 32 will engage the adjacent link of said chain.

The arms 3 of the lever 1 are provided with alining apertures for the reception of the pivot pins 37, 35 and 36, whichrespeo tively form the upper puller, the fulcrum and the lower puller. Pivotally mounted on the pin 3 1 is a chain pawl a which is con-- structed in accordance with the structure illustrated in Fig. 7 while a chain'pawl b constructed in accordance with the structure shown in Fig. 7, is mounted on the fulcrum pin 35. The pin 36 forms a pivotal connection for the puller C constructed in accordance with that illustrated in Fig 6 and it will be seen that upon'oscillating the lever the pullers a and C will respectively pull and ratchet over the chain according to the direction of movement. The end of a the chain 17 opposite the one which is attached to the chain pawl b is secured to the chain pawl cl which is constructed in accordance with the structure illustrated in Fig. 7. The chain pawls e are pivoted to the pivot pins 14 and 22.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in use the hooks 10 and 20are attached respectivelyto the anchor and the wire to be stretched and upon oscillation of the lever 1 it will be seen that the pawls a andic will engage the links of the chain, thereby causing the puller 18 to move toward the anchor element 6. In this way it will be seen that thewire attachedrto the hook 20 will be stretched to itsfullest extent and when it is desired to take up'any slack and move the lever back tothe original starting point, it willbe seen" that the holding pawls e are dropped so as to engage the chain and thus the pawl I) may be disconnected and the lever moved to original starting position ready to repeat the operation.

While in the foregoing there "has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

WVhat is claimed is 1. In a deviceof the class described, an anchoring element, a pulling element, a chain connecting the anchoring element and the pulling element, and means operable in connection with the chain-tomove the pulling element toward the anchoring element and means carried by thean'choring element and pulling element and operable with the chain to hold the anchoring and pulling elements against relative movement, when the first name'd'means is released.

2. In a device of the class described, an anchoring element, a pulling element, a chain passing around the anchoring element and pulling element, and having one end detachably secured to-saidanchoring ele ment, means detachably secured to the opposite end ofsaid chain and'operable in connection with the chain to'move the pulling element toward the anchoring element, and means carried by the pulling and anchoring elementsand operable with the chain to hold the pulling and anchoring elements against relative movement when the first named means is released.

3. In a device of the class described,xan

anchoringelement having pulley rotatably mounted therein-and means for detachably engaging a chain, a pulling element having a pulley rotatably mountedthereirn-a chain passing around the pulley in the anchoring element and around the pulley in the pulling element and having: one end detachably secured tothe-chain engaging means carried by said anchoring element, and means detachably secured to=the oppositc end of said chain and operable in connection with the chain to move the pulling element toward the anchoring element, and means carried by the anchoring and pulling elementsand operable with the chain to hold the anchoring-and pulling-elements against relative movement when the first named means is released.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED RASMUSSEN.

l Vitnesses:

JAMESL. JOHNSON,

CLARK.

Copies of this patent maybe obtainedfor five cents each,,by addressing-the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

